On the Way to a Relationship
by INSANITY feat. PerringtonJones
Summary: On the Way to a Relationship,by INSANITY feat. Perrington Jones,formerly known as 330INSANITY. Sorry for the name change! A series of connecting one, two, sometimes three shots revolving around Leon and Cloud.
1. Chocolate

"Leon, don't forget: Today you have to show around the newcomer."

Aerith, the Lady in Pink, covered her mouth with one hand. To Leon, it looked like she was hiding a small smile but he didn't mention. Instead, he just sighed, rubbed his scar and looked down at the breakfast table.

"Can't anyone else do it? I was going to get an early start on the north wall…"

He caught the look the normally peaceful woman gave him- a look that promised a painful death, generally reserved only for those foolish enough to trample her flowers- and sighed again. "Fine, fine."

The look dropped and she smiled cheerfully at him before reaching out to tweak some of his hair that was in his face. "Thanks, Leon. Besides, you know no one else can do it today. I would do it myself but I have a ton of baking to do…and you need a haircut. I liked it the way you had it when you were young."

Leon looked away. "…whatever."

"Cheer up! You don't _have _to get it cut right now. Now go meet the newcomer. I think you'll like him. And don't forget the gift basket!"

"…how could I forget it?"

One last time he sighed, grabbed the basket from the bench and left to face his fate.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The image of Leon walking down the streets of Radiant Garden, basket in hand, amused most of the inhabitants, and Leon knew it.

"…Why me?" He glared at a laughing kid running past, making his way to the marketplace, where he had been told the newcomer was. It was its normal, bustling self, but one person stood out. That person was dressed in black, with blonde hair, sticking in all directions, leaning against the wall, looking quite uninterested. Then there was the oversized sword strapped to his back.

…_Maybe he's compensating?_

Leon would have at least half smiled at that thought if he wasn't in such a bad mood.

"You the newcomer?"

"Yeah. Cloud."

"Leon. Here." He thrust the basket at the blond.

"...Chocolate?" Cloud raised his eyebrow. In the under a minute he'd known the brunet, he'd swear before a Grand Jury that this _Leon _person wasn't the kind of guy that just gave out chocolate.

"It's not from me. It's from the other members of the Restoration Committee. Now, either follow me or stumble your own way around. I don't care which." Leon left, a scowl on his face and thunder clouds rumbling.

Cloud shook his head and after a moment followed the other man, already munching on a bar of chocolate.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Well there you go. Different from the original first chapter, but better. Drop us a line. Apparently, if you review Gackt will descend from the heavens and praise you himself.


	2. Masks

Chapter 2, Masks. Dedicated to the lovely person who reviewed. This made me write faster.

Written by INSANITY half of 330INSANITY.

No one in this belongs to me. And these chapter titles were all drabbles for a different community- can't remember which one.  
-Thinking of the past.-  
_Thinking in the present and close past._

* * *

_It's a mask. It's all a mask to keep others from seeing in. A mask of stoic uncaring. But what is it hiding? Why do I care? ...I guess I don't. Stop being a hypocrite, King of Freeze. It's his business. Let him deal with it. It's not my problem._

The newcomer, Cloud Strife, straightened from his work, watching his greeter- Leon, the apparent leader of Hollow Bastion- at work. The brown haired man was showing some of the locals the basics of stonemasonry. It was a puzzle where the man had gained the range of skills required to repair the Bastion and bring it back to it's former glory. Noone really knew him. He never spoke about his past, or his homeworld, Aerith had said with a sad little sigh.

Aerith. Sweet Minerva, _Aerith!_

* * *

"_Well Cloud... You obviously know what had happened, before the Heartless came?" The ex-flowergirl shifted in her position, nerveously playing with the pink ribbon in her hair._

"_Zack died. You died. I fought Sephiroth-twice. But why are you back? And Sephiroth?"_

-Why not Zack?-

"_That's a pretty short description..." The girl sighed._

"_It's accurate. Why are you back? How?"_

"_Zack... We were watching the Planet get overrun by the Heartless, and all of you were fighting..."_

-Barret had stood infront of Marlene, gun arm blazing. Cid, Red XII and Cait Sith were fighting in Loveless Avenue. Denzel- that floolish/brave boy- was with Vincent, quickly learning marksmanship- from the best. Tifa and Yuffie were causing their own havoc amongst the Heartless. And I was-

--I was on the cliff, grabbing the Buster sword as I fell into Darkness.-

"_Zack saw you fall, and somehow shoved me back into life."_

-Zack sent me Aerith.-

"_I woke up at Hollow Bastion, a kid. I found Yuffie, Tifa and Cid. Cid was back in his late teens, Yuffie was barely out of diapers and Tifa was my age. Cid raised us, and he took in another boy, who called himself Leon..."_

-Leonhart.-

* * *

Cloud shook his head again. Pointless to think and remember.  
Don't look back.

* * *

Leon wiped the sweat from his brow. Teaching others the basics was hard enough work, coupled with constantly watching them, in case the screwed up or Heartless attacked took even more out of him. Looking up, he just managed to glimpse Strife looking at him before going back to whatever he was doing.  
_It's a mask. A mask of chalent uncaring. It keeps other's from looking in. Why do I care? ...Hypocrite, Ice Prince.  
_

_Ice Prince. That's what SHE use to call me.  
_

_Rinoa..._

* * *

So, Leon decided to keep his past to himself.  
All reviews are appreciated, even if only to gripe at us. Anyway, now we have to wait for 330 to get off her rear and write the next chapter. Ja ne, readers.


	3. Hair

Hiya, people!  
Thanks to wolfdemon778 for favouriting and to Spiritwave13, Coffee-Flavoured Fate and to The Mist Alchemist for putting this on your alerts list. Makes a girl feel special, you know?  
Anyway, PLEASE REVIEW. No reviews and I'll lose confidence on this and stop. I really don't want but...  
Moving on. Dedicated to the guy I call Cloud, one of my ninth grader puppies. Why?  
I love his hair.

* * *

_Do I attract chocobo hair or something?_

Leon was staring at Cloud's hair vapidly. It was an early evening, too dark to still be working but not late enough to sleep, even for the tired restoration leader. Aerith was humming in a corner, repairing a tear on one of her jackets, Cid was next to the fireplace smoking with Yuffie yelling at him for it and the blond warrior was sharpening that oversized sword of his. Was he compensating, or something?

"What's so interesting about me, Leonhart?" Cloud's voice was quiet, barely audible over the _scrape-scrape-scrape _of the whetstone over his blade. Leon blinked, not expecting to of been addressed by the other man.

"Your hair. Is it natural?"

"Why, you want styling tips?"

Aerith giggled quietly from her corner and Leon's eyes narrowed. Apparently the pink lady could hear them.

"Nevermind."

_First Zell, now him. Jeeze, is there a sign around my neak saying 'Chocobo heads welcome'?_

* * *

Leon was still staring at him. Those eyes were boring through him and it was starting to irritate him.

"Continue to stare, Leonhart, and I'll remove your eyes."

"Cloud! That's not nice!"

"Why are you staring at me?" Cloud stood, his eyes narrowing slightly and picking up a faint glow.

"...your hair reminds me of someone I once knew."

"OOOH! SQUALLY HAD A GIIIRLFRIEND!" Yuffie crowed, spinning from Cid to point at Leon.

Leon sighed. He had given up on correcting her. "...not a girlfriend. A guy I worked with that I couldn't stand, named Zell. He had chocobo hair too." His eyes were down, voice soft.

_...My hair looks like a guy he once knew. Great._

"Squall's gone into Mr Whiney McEmo Pants mode. Thaaaaanks Cloud!" Yuffie pouted.

Cloud blinked slightly. _I'm still not used to her again yet._

_And what the hell is Leonhart's problem?_

_

* * *

_

Yes. I know Leon's angsting a lot. Part of the story. I need him angsty. But well get his 'problems' in the air sooner or later, and let those two have some actual, semi-friendly interaction huh?

Oh. Go take the quiz at . I'm a Don't Fuck With Me Seme, same with 330.


	4. Past, part 1: Squall Died That Day

One of you wanted 'MOAR' so, lo and behold, there is more.

Please tell me how I can improve this. I mean, I could use the help, and I'm only just learning how to write these kind... These are more like 'one-shots' of the same story, hence the shortness of the chapters.

Gomen.

Written from Squall/Leon's POV.

* * *

"_Why did you invite him back to the Garden?" Selphie pouted, staring at Seifer behind me._

"_Because I'm too damn good to keep away." Seifer smirked at the girl, twirling his gunblade in one hand. Cocky bastard._

"_...I want to keep my eyes on him,Selph." I sighed, eyes rolling heavenward. Was this a mistake? It might be. After all, he was our enemy only a year ago..._

_

* * *

_

"_You don't know until you give him a shot."_

"_Yeah, a shot in the head from forty paces. Alright, he has one chance. He screws up, and I'm kicking him out of the Gardens forever." My face resolute._

_Rinoa laughed at me, twirling in the sun. She had redyed the streaks in her hair, the brown contrasting with the dark locks around it._

"_Rinoa... I'm only doing this because you like him." There must have been accusation in my voice, because when she looked at me next, her eyes were hurt._

"_Squall, I don't like him like I like you..." She turned from me._

_"I know. I was only teasing." I wrapped my arms around her waist, face in her hair._

_She suddenly spun, grinning at me. "Hooray! The Ice Prince is dead! Long live Squall!" She mock saluted me._

_I should of known better. I was about to reply but I was interrupted._

"_Squall! Squall! SQUALLSQUALLSQUALLSQUALL!" Zell sprinted into the hallway at a hundred miles, hair flying everywhere. I swear that new haircut makes him look like a chocobo. "SQUALLSQUALLSQUALLSQU-"_

"_I'm right here, Zell." I rubbed at my ringing ears. "What is it? It better be more important than the hotdogs..."_

"_Gwah! Much more important! Squall, _Esthar City is being attacked!"

_Everyone spun to face him. Who was idiotic enough to attack Esthar City?_

_

* * *

__Hundreds of them. Thousands, even. They had spread from Esthar like a plague. Completely unlike any monster we had ever seen, or fought. We had no defense against them. For everyone we killed, three more would appear. Everywhere was overrun. The cities, towns, everywhere. Trabia, which Selphie had worked so hard to rebuild, been the first Garden to fall. Then the students of the Galbadia Garden, fighting to get the place running as it did before the Second Sorceress War, fell next._

_We called them 'Heartless'. They attacked without mercy, and stole the fallens hearts. Our Garden, Balamb, was the last refuge of humanity standing. I had ordered to keep us moving, searching for survivors in the decimated towns. We stopped at night over the sea, to help keep them away, and to give us some rest._

_Eventually, we fell too._

_Irvine, Selphie and Quistis were the first to fall, protecting a classroom of underclassmen. The kids didn't make it either. Next was Zell, charging into a fight I knew he couldn't win. Maybe he did too. Maybe he just chose to go out the way he did, fighting for his friends, fighting for his ma in the upper floors._

_We were the last. Me, Rinoa, Angelo and Seifer. We had no chance. Overwhelmed and exhausted, I watched Rinoa die. Sorceress Rinoa. The Sorceress with angel wings. The woman I loved. Angelo quickly followed his master, still trying to protect her. I...I had failed my duty. As her knight. As her friend. As her..._

_Now it was just me and Seifer, but not for long. Seifer turned kamikaze, swearing to take out as many as he could before they got him._

_I was alone again._

_I hadn't been alone for over a year now, and here I was. Fighting a one man war that couldn't be won, no matter how hard I tried. I had failed everyone. I had even failed myself._

_Where did I go wrong?_

_I had no time to contemplate it, because I too, fell..._

_

* * *

_

_I wound up in Traverse Town, where I met Aerith and baby Yuffie... Somehow, we'd been turned into children. Hell, Aerith had been DEAD. I met Cid, their onetime friend, now adopted father. _

_Soon to become my own._

_I had to start my life all over again, knowing what I had lost..._

_I couldn't accept it. I changed my name, hoping that it would change my future. Squall died when Rinoa fell. He's Leon now._

_I'm Leon, and I won't fail again._


	5. Past, Part2: Underworld

Hehehehe... Now have more reviews than chapters. Good sign, ne? Thanks to everyone who reviewed and faved and stuff. After this, the real story gets going. Long prolouge, huh?

Anyway, hang in there!

* * *

"_Vincent! Thank Minerva you're here...Can you baby sit Marlene and Denzel while me and Cloud go out?"_

_Tifa was looking at Vincent hopefully. I hid a small smile. Today was her birthday, and I was taking her out for tea. Marlene and Denzel didn't look very happy at the prospect of being babysat, but when they saw it was Vince, they brightened up._

"_Tifa, I..."_

"_Oh... Busy with Shelke and Reeve, huh?" Tifa's smile drooped._

"_Tifa..."_

"_It's alright, Vincent. I know that your busy, and important. It's just that your good with the kids..."_

"_Tifa,allow me to finish.I received a message from Yuffie. Bad news."_

_I frowned. When Vincent said 'bad news' the end of the world quickly proceeded._

_...everything had been peaceful for the past year. Deepground was gone. Omega was asleep again and everything was fine. Marlene and Denzel were growning- too fast in my opinion, one that was shared by Barret- and Shelke was starting to be able to survive without the daily mako shots. It was down to one a week, and a fairly watered down one, too. She was starting to resemble her true age, instead of being nine or ten constantly. She looks sixteen. A pretty sixteen year old. Vincent has to bash the boys away from her.  
__Never thought I'd see Vince in such a parental role._

"_What's happening?"_

"_Yuffie says Wutai has fallen."_

"_WHAT?!" Tifa looked horrified and amazed. "Wutai-?!"_

"_...how?" I moved from around the bar._

"_...creatures of the darkness. She escaped, along with a group of Wutaain guards and the surviving WRO members."_

"_Surviving...?"_

_

* * *

__The tale Vincent told was horrific,and we hoped that it didn't come any closer._

_Well, it did._

_I don't know what was happening with the others, but I was trying to lead those monsters-Heartless, we called them- away from my friends and family. I was running through the desert, and I could hear a helicopter in the distance. The Turks, I hoped, still running. With them, the others might hold out longer. We no longer had any illusions about defeating the dark masses. We knew we couldn't win. But we kept fighting. I don't know why. Maybe it's just our nature. I got to the top of the cliff, overlooking what's left of Midgar. Panting hard, I grabbed the Buster sword to help hold myself up. I was tired from three days of straight fighting, and now that sprint from the battlefield. I had left my swords among various surviving members of the WRO. I left two to Shelke._

_I don't really remember what happened next. I started fighting, using the Buster, then..._

_I guess I died, because when I next woke up, I was in Hell. Well... The Underworld._

_Crap._

_

* * *

_-sweatdrops- Sorry for the poor quality of this, and how short it is. I had grand plans for it, but... They kinda disappeared.

Gomen.

Hmm... Let's try an experiment. Let's say... Two reviews for the next chapter. I know you can do it!


	6. Out of the Loop

-scratches head grinning- pleasant surprise there! At the time of writing this, I had three reviews for the last record. Three! A record! ...alright, it's not much, but hey, it keeps me happy. School is whipping me, but I'll keep trying to update this.

Thanks guys! -grins and starts writing-

* * *

"Welcome to the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee!" Yuffie grinned broadly as a grinning teen, a grouchy looking duck and a dog that looked like no one was at home in the upstairs department walked in to the small room.

"We missed you!" Aerith grinned turning, holding her hands.

"Well, if you ain't in top shape." Cid turned from typing, chewing his toothpick.

"I knew it." Leon turned, and Cloud got the surprise of his life.

Leon was actually smiling. Not his somewhat forced smile of when he talked to the public- _"I know, sir, now quit pestering me"- _and the smile that meant something was going to die very soon.

This was genuine, warm, and most of all, welcoming.

_Just who the hell is- ...Sora? _Cloud didn't shift from his position against the far corner. _D_o_nald? Goofy?_

"...knew what?" The teen looked slightly confused as he stopped near the door, Donald and Goofy behind him.

"A while back, everyone suddenly remembered you guys, all at the same time."

_Apparently, not all of us. I was left out of the loop?...is there a loop?_

"You...remembered? Wait! Does that mean you forgot about us?!" Sora made an exaggerated movement.

"Thanks!" Donald squarked sarcastically.

"So... Where you guys been all this time?"

"We were sleepin'." Goofy grinned, still looking like nothing was going on.

"Where? In cold storage?" Cid kept chewing.

"It doesn't matter. This is great. Everyone's together again!" Aerith grinned.

_...they went away?_

* * *

Leon came back alone from the bailey, carrying a few bruises and a scrape or too.

"...Leon? What happened?" Aerith frowned at him.

"...a few Nobodies. Sora and I got rid of them, and now he's off, saving the worlds again." Leon smiled slightly, half sighing.

"Your worried about him! Leon is worried about So-ra!" Yuffie grinned, starting to sing.

"..." Leon sighed and left again.

"...Leon knows Sora?"

Cloud's question hung slighlty in the air, and Aerith answered.

"Yes. Leon helped train Sora and was the first to find him. Then Sora helped Leon clear this world, and saved the others. ...he's like a younger brother to Leon, to us all..."

Cloud nodded slightly.

_He was helped by him..._

* * *

There we go! Once again, not so good in my opinion. But I needed Sora to show up. Sora is such a good boy.

Let's try for three reviews! Although, I may be satisfyed with two, depending...

To Kotorigaro:...like Advent Children? -chuckles- I suppose, it is like that...


	7. Need a Hand?

Leon held on. The feel of Cloud dangling helplessly, clutching his waist, the feel of the rough stone under his gloved hands, he strain on his arms…

He kept holding on.

_How'd we get into this mess?_

He gasped slightly, starting to sweat. They had to get out of this situation. Hanging off the side of the Bailey with Cloud clinging to him had not been part of Leon's day plan, but here they were. And if they wanted to get out of this alive, they would need to cooperate. For the first time.

Cloud had kept his distance, only helping the Restoration Committee if Aerith asked him too. That was another thing he had to ask Strife about. His connection with Aerith. What was with that?

"Strife."

"What?"

"Do you want to die here?"

_Do you want to die here?_

To Cloud, he had wanted to die a few times in his life, but not now. Not when he suddenly had something to live for- _"Keep an eye on Aerith for me, would ya? Tell her I love her"- _Zack had paid a visit in a dream, charging him to watch over the woman he loved from the Lifestream- or when he had had Denzel and Marlene to watchout for, or Tifa to keep pacified when Reno visited the bar to drink.

"No."

"Climb up me. My belts make good footholds."

Previous knowledge of falling off a cliff and Zell using his belts for footholds came in handy, it appeared.

Cloud nodded slightly, shifted his weight and started climbing up the other man. He swung over the top and looked down at the other man.

Cloud would of let him hanging, knowing that the man could easily haul himself up now that he wasn't weighing him down, but the Aerith voice of reason was telling him to help the man or he'd be washing dishes for months. And… Some little part of him, quietly suggested that him and the man would understand each other if he gave it a chance. He promptly stifled that voice and reached to the brunet.

"Here."

Leon blinked, having expected him to leave. Then he grabbed the others glove and let himself be helped up.

"Thanks."

Cloud shrugged turning away.

"…Leonhart?"

"Hm?"

"Need help, tomorrow?"

* * *

*looks at chapter* Um… Heh, short? *smiles* Couldn't think. I is sick. *sneezes* Please leave a review and I won't pass it on.


	8. Leon's Bad Day, with a Hint of Poison

"Wrench."

One of the main water pipes had sprung leaks, and Cloud was 'helping' Leon fix it. The brunet was scowling at the pipe, grey eyes starting to cloud over with annoyance.

"Are you calling me a barmaid?"

Leon made an inarticulate noise. "Strife, for Hyne's sake, just give me the damn tool."

Cloud shrugged and handed him the requested tool. Leon was irritable today. Couldn't really blame him.

Cloud watched him fix the pipe for longer. "What were you in your past life, a plumber?"

"No. Elite mercenary. Shut up. I think it's nearly-" He had looked up to glare at Cloud, and the moment he had taken his attention away from the pipe, it sprung a leak. A high pressured leak. Right under where the man was leaning. His sentence had stopped as the cold water hit his face, and Cloud done the only thing he could think of when confronted with a glaring and wet Leon.

He laughed. And he laughed _hard_.

"Don't go to sleep tonight, Strife."

Leon fixed the new leak and started packing away. "Is that all for today?"

"Not including your nightly patrol, oh mighty Heartless slayer? Yes." Cloud flicked a blonde spike from his face. "We should move on, though. There are Heartless coming."

Leon sighed. Heartless, Heartless, Heartless. And now Nobodies too. For Hyne's sake, this was really getting annoying.

The pair started heading out.

* * *

On the way back to Merlin's, they had been attacked by fifty Heartless. Normally they would have been no problem for the two, but today was different.

Leon was being a klutz. The man was never a klutz.

Cloud watched him limp home, trailing blood slightly. He had gotten out unscathed. Leon had been scratched several times. It was…. Odd.

Leon opened the door, and started in. Unfortunately, Yuffie was dashing out and away from Cid who was trying to smack her with his spear. Yuffie collided with Leon and Leon dropped, onto one of the scratches. The man went as white as a sheet as Yuffie babbled an apology and continued running from Cid.

"…Leon? Are you ok?"

Aerith frowned at him as Cloud stepped over the sprawled man and into the living room. Leon made a noise that was probably a negative. Aerith sighed and knelt next to him and started to cast cure. Leon shook his head, batting at her lightly.

"Not yet. Something stabbed me." He sat up with some difficulty and felt the patch of blood on his back and pulled out a nail. He promptly went white again.

"Ow… I told Cid putting up that sign was a bad idea." She started casting cure again.

Leon looked up and groaned.

_Restoration HQ. Leader: Leon._

"Leon, dinner's already ready."

He nodded getting up, and Cid and Yuffie came in. Cid was wheezing hard, and Yuffie was grinning like the cat that got the milk. They all trooped into the kitchen, Cid muttering curses. They grabbed their plates and sat. Aerith had always made them eat at the same time at the same table. Family time or something.

"This smells funny."

Leon looked at his dinner suspiciously. It looked normal. But the smell was off.

"Leon, don't be so paranoid. Just eat it. You must be hungry."

He sighed and followed the woman's wishes. It tasted like… steak and… potatoes and… What the hell was that?!

He gagged and ran out of the room retching.

"Whoops."

Everyone turned to see Yuffie rubbing at her hair smiling nervously.

"Wrong plate."

* * *

"Not my day—_urk_—I'm gonna _kill _that ninja—_bleh_—and dance on her remains…"

Cloud nodded, holding Leon's hair back as the man hurled again. He had been pressed by Aerith into hair holding duty, and was trying to avoid the smell attacking his nose.

Yuffie was a ninja. Ninja's were good with plants. Some plants had negative effects. As demonstrated by Leon. To be fair, she hadn't meant to do this to Leon. Cid had been he target after their argument, and she'd just done it to the wrong plate.

"I'm sorry! Please don't kill me! No dancing! I mean, it shouldn't have any long term effects or anything, like turning your babies into mutants- unless you ALREADY had mutant babies! OhMiLeviathan! LEON HAS MUTANT BABIES!"

It was at this point that Cloud threw her out of the room to face her punishment from Aerith. No doubt it involved cleaning, and Cloud gently took Leon's hair again as the man heaved.

"Finished?"

"Maybe… I don't have anything left…"

"You sound like crap, Leonhart."

"I wonder why." He sighed resting his forehead on the bowl. "Can we ditch the verbal sparring until I won't vomit on you? Or we could keep at it, and I could hurl on you, just to make my point."

"Point noted. Truce accepted. Desert?"

"There's a little oasis. And I think there's a tent with women in it."

They had started to use code to express concern with something when they were trying to keep their masks up. It saved face, if you will. No emotions involved.

"_Do you have a fever?"_

"_Doesn't feel to bad, but I could use a drink."_

"Let's see if Aerith wants to play _Nurses_."

"_I'm going to see if Aerith can help you."_

"Nothing too kinky, please."

"_Fine by me."

* * *

_

…so, ya like? Better than before? *chuckles* At least it's longer. Just over 900 words. Poor Leon. I would kill Yuffie, too. Mind, I love the way she acts.


	9. Open Your Eyes

"Hey! Heyheyheyhey!" Zell waved his arms exaggeratedly, running after his students. "Guys, seriously! Get back here! Don't make me-!" He kept running and Squall smiled slightly and shook his head. Instructor Zell. Who knew the blonde fighter had it in him to control a pack of students? Well, minimal control most of the time.

"…Are you sure including him on the teaching staff was a good idea?" Xu raised her eye brow watching the chaos from besides Squall. "I mean, he's a great guy, and a brilliant fighter…"

"As I seen when we fought Ultimecia."

"…brilliant fighter, but is he really Instructing material?" She sighed, eying Squall cautiously. Squall only smiled as Zell managed to get his class back together and started scolding them. While a scolding was the minimal amount a student could receive where they were in trouble, Zell could only use it and the time-out chair.

He was in charge of the six year olds.

"He's perfect for the kids, since he IS one." Squall chuckled.

Ah, the changes in Squall since Rinoa had showed up in his life. The once permanently serious and moody looking Squall had become a much friendlier person. Not entirely open, but he laughed and smiled with the rest of them. A big improvement, and he had proved to be a brilliant tactician in battle. A good thing too, because when you have others your age under your command, you WANT to make good tactics to avoid getting them killed.

Zell led his gaggle of children away, as Irvine walked past, giving a student tips about rifles and shooting.

"…trick is, one and a half."

"What?"

"One breath in, half a breath out. Aim. Fire. Your shots a lot more accurate if…"

They walked out of ear shot as Squall left, Xu still following and going through the reports.

* * *

"_I really am going to kill her."_

"…_Aerith? Never expected that from you." The unknown male's voice laughed. It was rich, and the man sounded genuinely surprised._

"_Zack, Yuffie tried to POISON Cid and got Leon instead!"_

"_Aw, cut the kid some slack. Sometimes, I wanna poison him myself."_

"_Zack! You don't even know him!"_

"_Are, I've been stalking you from here for many years now. I know them all."_

"_I guess, you do…"_

"_No regrets, Aer, never hold regrets."_

* * *

"Train, train, take me away, take me away, so far away!" Selphie skipped onto the platform, singing while Squall trudged up after her.

"Selph, I know you love trains, but could you please stop that?"

"Why?"

"Doomtrain thinks you want him."

Selphie stopped her singing and opted for skipping aboard the train. "You just can't wait to see Sir Laguna, Kiros and Ward again, can you? More importantly, RINOA'S with them!"

Squall sighed and facepalmed.

"I knew it!"

"…of course I miss her. Don't you miss Irvine when you're in Trabia?"

She sighed, normally bright smile drooping slightly. "Yeah, I do…" She brightened again as Squall swiped their tickets through the machine and they moved into their carriage.

Selphie had changed a lot too, since she had taken up duties at the site of Trabia's restoration. Destroyed in the war, she was working to make it better than ever. But she was still the Selphie they all liked, hyper and cheery. According to Irvine, adorable too.

* * *

"_I really didn't mean too…"_

"_This isn't good to do to anyone, Yuffie!"_

"_I'm sorry! It's not meant to be this bad! Maybe he's allergic to it?"_

"_Better hope so."_

"…_is he still talking in his sleep?"_

"_Yeah. Someone called Selphie just turned up. And… I think Leon had a girlfriend before the Heartless."_

"…_HE REALLY DID?!"_

"_Keep it down!" Aerith's voice hissed._

* * *

"Hyne, I missed you." Barely disguised love went through his voice as he pulled Rinoa closer. "How's your little diplomacy act going?"

She sighed and smiled slightly. "I'm not entirely sure the world's ready, but Laguna is putting Esther back onto the map in a big way. That man is unstoppable when he gets an idea. Like father, like son."

"Stop messing about with my parentage. A soldier-turned-President and a bar tender, I know. But how you been?"

"…_a soldier and a bartender?"_

Squall shook his head. Where had that come from?

"I'm fine! This bracelet only has minimal side effects, and I always have you, my handsome knight."

"Handsome knight? Me? Knight maybe, but not handsome."

"You have rugged good looks that make women squee." She shoved him playfully and he grinned.

"Alright, I'm good looking."

"_He just called himself…"_

"What?" He looked around, eyes narrowing.

"…?" Rinoa looked confused.

"…thought I heard something…"

"Maybe it was 'come to me, I want to devour your heart'?"

"Not quite…"

"_He's nearly awake, but still dreaming."_

"Follow me, oh knight, into bliss." Rinoa was smiling suggestively, standing.

Leon smiled back, got up, and followed.

"_Open your eyes, Leonhart."_

* * *

Leon opened his eyes.

His head throbbed, his eyes itched somehow and he felt like he had never eaten. And he was thirsty…so damn thirsty…

His eyes focused on the calm face of Cloud above him, and croaked the first thing he could.

"…give me…some water…you prick."

Cloud chuckled and looked up at a worried Aerith and Yuffie.

"He's wake, and he's himself."

* * *

…hmmm… Any good? I've had a ton of work to do lately, and the lack of a computer makes me cry TT_TT everyone had a good Easter? …I didn't really. A load of crap happened, and now I'm trying to fix it. Thanks for the reviews, enough to keep me going, and all of the alerts and favourites on this thing. I still don't this story is a as good as it can be, so please, tell me what I can do better. Always tell me what I can do better. If that chapter confused you, just send me a 'WTF?' and I'll try and explain.

Ja ne.


	10. As Gay As

…HAH! I'm putting my rant up here for once.

*shakes head* My English teacher is evil. Essay after essay. I'm on the verge of committing homicide.

Advice: Go listen to Malice Mizer _Beast of Blood _and Gackt (squeeee Gackt!) _Speedmaster_. Why? Their freakin awesome, man. The 4w350m3s4uc3 on l33781x.

* * *

"...The Heartless are revolting." Cloud quietly remarked, looking out over the writhing mass of black and white below, from the nearly complete Bailey.

"…I refuse to answer that, on grounds that it is nothing but a stupid joke. ...alright, yes, they are revolting." Leon shook his head slightly. "We're going to have to do something permanent about those things soon."

"I like 'permanent'."

Cloud and Leon wandered out of the Bailey, Leon frowning. "We can't eliminate them all until Sora finds enough space to give us a hand. How do you think the kids going, anyway?"

"…You know him better than I do. How do you think he is?"

"Cheerful. Probably confused."

Cloud nodded slightly and looked out the corner of his eye at Leon. He was his normally serious self, as he swung the door open to Merlin's place. Cid was hammering away at the computer, Tron trying to help, but being interrupted with cries of _"Shurrup, ya moron! I know what I'm doin'!"_

Average day at Merlin's place.

He thumped into a seat, trying to pull his brooding face on. But it was hard to brood with your dead best friend rattling through your mind, constantly making comments. The Zack Channel. Twenty-four hours, seven days a week of Zack. Except for when he went to annoy Aerith.

_Cloud, what are you looking at? Cloud, you're on fire! AHHH! Heh. Kidding. Hey Cloud, doesn't Leon's ass look GREAT in those pants?_

Cloud started choking on the drink Leon had handed him, turning red. Leon turned to face him slightly, raising an eyebrow.

"Down the wrong hole!" Cloud gasped, thumping a fist on his chest. He managed to calm himself down, starting to rub where he'd thumped his chest.

_I'm not interested in Leon's ass, Zack. Don't even suggest it._

_Oh, give it up, Cloud. You're as gay as Reno liquored up and in a gay bar. What man could be straight with Miss Big Boobs wanting some Cloud action?_ At this point, his mental picture of Zack suddenly appeared dressed in Tifa's outfit.

_Please don't joke about it, Zack. I like Tifa. But she's…_

_Scary when hormonal?_

_Yes. And… She's a friend. Besides, she likes Rude._

Cloud's head suddenly jerked up as he heard something-

"Cloud!"

* * *

…the end! Nah. See? More scrolling room. Just messing with ya.

* * *

To properly understand what is happening, we have to slow this down, and look at it's components.

Alright. Cid's in the corner, screaming abuse like he does, with Tron politely trying to inform him he'll be killed if he doesn't move. Cid jerks the only way he can-backwards.

Aerith had been _behind_ Cid, but was now sprawled _under_ Cid, safely protected from what was happening.

The roof starts collapsing. Please note, this is fairly important (and yes, I know Merlin probably magiced the roof in place and all that, I'm aware he's magical.)

Leon, with good intentions, grabs Cloud and hurls him onto the floor, and hits the floor too.

The roof completely collapses, landing in the living room.

And mental Zack is using choice words as we speak.

* * *

They started coughing through the dust.

"Leon-" Cough "Cloud! Cid! You guys-" coughcoughcough "Okay?!"

Cid groaned starting to stand, shaking roof off himself, getting off Aerith.

"I'm fi- where's my smoke?"

Cloud and Leon slowly pushed themselves up too, large chunks of plaster and tiles sliding off them.

"…fine…" Leon mumbled slightly, shaking his head to rid himself of the incessant ringing.

"…I'm okay, too." The cut on Cloud's face was already starting to heal.

Aerith sighed in relief, then stopped, staring.

"Guys…!"

A huge hand casually picked her up as she screamed.

* * *

Now it's the end. Like? Didn't like? Wanna kill me for the cliffy? Wanna kill me because of Zack, or my own, comments? Then flame!

……It's nearly winter her, and the extra heat would be good. But, reviews warm the soul too…


	11. Liberate Aerith!

The hand was white, and, as Leon and Cloud followed the hand up to its owner, their eyes widened.

"Nobodies get that big?!" Yuffie screamed, already yanking her shuriken from a pile of rubble and spinning it.

"Apparently they do…" Leon was already studying it, eyes narrowing. "It doesn't look overly strong, though."

"…it's still a big damn samurai, though." Cloud freed his Buster sword, holding it at the ready.

"Eh, I've fought a lot worse. Griver was smaller, but he was fairly annoying. Ultimecia was a pain, and Omega…"

Cloud looked sidewards at the other man, who was still studying the Nobody. There was a glint in his eyes he had never seen and all of a sudden, he was seeing Leon as he must look in a true battle. Against the flimsy other Nobodies, he was nonchalant, and even on the verge of carelessness. Leon as he must be with a purpose.

"Forget all that and get me DOWN!" Aerith hammered the non-beings fist. "LEON!"

_Asking Leon instead of me?_

…_Don't let it get to you._

Leon nodded, gunblade coming to his hand. "Alright. Yuffie?"

"Hm?"

"Get into the air and start aiming for its eyes. Cid, find your spear?"

"Yah, and the damn things broke! Can still use it though."

"Good. Aim for its chest. Cloud, try and destroy its hamstrings. When it drops Aerith, catch her."

"What makes you think you can order me?"

"…whatever. I'll force it into a duel."

Leon took a breath, squaring his shoulders. "Everyone. Move. Now!"

Yuffie left a black cloud of smoke as she disappeared and reappeared high over the rooftops, shuriken already flying for its eyes. Cid circled to its left, trying to get a high enough perch to start his own melee. Cloud glared at Leon and started moving, purely because he could see that Leon's tactic would be the most effective. His would be limited to 'slash-and-run, not forgetting Aerith'.

* * *

It had been short, violent and surprisingly messy, considering Nobodies don't bleed. Yuffie and Cid were painful distractions. Yuffie managing to put out one of its eyes, and Cid was tearing into it when ever it looked like stepping on Cloud or Leon. Yuffie, seeing her job was done, was already starting on her next one, she had given herself: liberate Aerith!

She nodded to herself: liberate Aerith and save the day! Oh yeah! Great ninja POWE-oops.

"Cloud! Catch Aerith!"

* * *

Cloud looked up from sawing away at its hamstrings in time to see Aerith fall.

_Oh shi-_

_Aerith!_

He started moving.

* * *

…*looks around* I just wanted to get this out. I know, short and incomplete, but I needed a break from figuring out my essay. I have no idea how many I've written, and its all starting to blur together. And I'm tired, but that's what happens when you're trying to get the Magus Sisters on ff10. Back to my essay *groan* and thanks to all new favouriters. And yes, Gackt can be nekkid as he delivers my thanks if you want him to be.


	12. Caught Her!

Ah, I apologise for taking so long~! -bows- Holidays, then I got sick, then my school blocked the site... Then my almighty IP (independent Project) started, and midterms... -sighs- Anyway, introducing neyma, the mad checker! Yeah, she's now betaing for me, and I loves her lots. Ja, where were we?

* * *

Aerith was falling, and Cloud's world was ending again. Leon was too caught up in his duel to catch her, and he himself was too far away. Cloud started running for her, arms stretching out, knowing he would fail, but still trying. Everything else stopped, sped up again, and Cloud screamed as-

-greenblueskylightwingstream-

"Aerith!"

Cloud stumbled, and fell onto his face as part of him jerked free, running faster, harder then before. The part of Cloud skidded and caught Aerith with a triumphant yell and stood, the woman wrapping her arms around his neck as he turned and Cloud's world, once again, came to a shuddering stop.

"Oh yeah! Zack saves the day again!"

It was Zack, just as the small part of Cloud that remembered his face told him. Grinning, black hair and a torn SOLDIER uniform. "Yo, spikey! Damn it's great, being corporeal again!"

* * *

Leon hummed under his breath. This had gone on long enough, and he was starting to get more than a little irritated at the Nobody. Time to finish it off, and since it wasn't playing nice...Renzokuken.

He charged, gunblade over his shoulder. As he swung at the Nobody, he pulled the gunblade's trigger in time. It stumbled and Leon stepped back, gunblade over his shoulder once again.

"Rough Divide!" He split the non-being vertically, and started to catch his breath. It had been a long time since he had used one of his old Limits, and it had drained him somewhat."...gone are the days of the chains of 'em..." He smiled to himself and turned, to be confronted by a crowd around a smiling Aerith, a stunned Cloud and a man talking animatedly to Yuffie. The crowd parted as he stepped forward, and still smiling Aerith looked at him.

"Leon? This is Zack." She was smiling broadly, and there were faint sparkles of tears in her eyes. Leon blinked.

"Never heard of him...you, I mean."

"Cloud! Don't I even rate a mention?" Zack pouted and blinked at Yuffie. "Hey, you're that kid from Wutai! Been staying outta trouble?"

"...you were living in my mind, and all this is a surprise to you?" Cloud's voice was soft, and he was pale.

"Ah hah, I guess not. Hey, you alright...?" Zack's voice dropped and his brows furrowed in concern.

"...I need..." Cloud left, face going blank. Zack sighed and started after him, but Aerith grabbed his arm and shook her head slightly.

"Aer?"

"He needs...time, Zack. He was upset when he found me, and I can only imagine what you're doing to him..."

Zack looked crestfallen. "I don't want to hurt him.."

Leon stared blankly at everyone, and couldn't restrain it any more.

"What the hell is going on?"

* * *

Leon nodded slightly. "So, you died when you were...?"

"Approximately 21, maybe 22. I don't really remember, and being pickled in mako does funny things to a mans head, even if he is a SOLDIER." Zack finally finished eating. "I didn't remember what nachos tasted like! I use to eat 'em with Reno all the time..." He scratched his head.

"And you died taking out an entire army, helicopters and all, to get you and a comatose Cloud to Midgar, to see Aerith?"

"Yup, sounds about right."

"...I don't believe this. Well, I do, but..." Leon sighed.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Sounds like some kind of video game to me." Zack grinned good naturedly.

"...Sora would love you."Aerith giggled, nodding. "They'd have a blast. Sora kind of like...well Leon and Cloud's love child, but with your personality."

"Love child?!"

"Well, yes, he does look like it. Your brown hair, with Cloud's spikes. Just longer."

"...no more mentions of me and Strife spawning, please."

_So THAT is Cloud's problem. Dead best friend in his head,watching Aerith die like that while thinking he was Zack... Messed up, real messed up. More messed up then me, I think. Is he ok?_

* * *

Cloud was, for lack of a better word, brooding. He wasn't entirely sure why- his dead best friend was now alive and kicking, Aerith was safe, and Leon was...Why had Leon come into the equation?

He shook his head. He should be rejoicing, but now he really didn't know who he was. Before, where Cloud failed to cover a situation, it had been Zack-Cloud that handled it. A mix of bravado, humour, sheer will and the ability to do 75 squats in 30 seconds. But now he didn't have even that...He pulled the Buster Sword from off his back, and looked at it hard. For sometime, it had seemed like the only thing that he could rely on and unconsciously he touched it to his forehead.

_Do I have to give it back? It means so much to the pair of us..._

* * *

Ah hah. How was that? Please don't stone me for it. Any good? I turned 17... That was Squall's age when he took on Ultimecia! I couldn't do that, and I'm kinda panicked about the fact I'm going to be ten points behind and I need to do a math course to get into Uni, and I'm technically failing English. -sigh- I hate maths (and now English) with a passion...Ja ne.


	13. Floods and Earthquakes

...Hi, guys. Long time, no see. I really have to apologise. It's been...a _horrible, horrible_, year since I last posted. Go ahead, shoot me. I've...been sick. It's all I can say about the subject, and I'm still recovering with the help of my new uke, PerringtonJones. He's basically had to baby me through the past five months, and it's taking quite a lot. Anyway, let's get back down to the story. I hope my style hasn't changed too much, and if it has, that you like it. And, since I still somehow managed to get favourites for both this story and _Fading Man_, I give you two or three chapters in one as an apology. That's why it is a little jumpy.

* * *

Zack was swearing.  
Zack swearing was never a good sign, especially when the sun had barely risen. Leon had known the man for three months now, and enjoyed the company of the once-dead SOLDIER- mostly because most of the skills required for rebuilding Hollow Bastion, Zack already had. "What's up, Zack?" Leon's eyebrow rose a centimetre as he watched the man cuss at Merlin's stove. Zack jumped slightly and shifted suspiciously so he faced Leon with the stove behind him. Zack was just in the borrowed grey slacks he had acquired from Leon- he was much longer in the leg and wider then Cloud was.  
"Ah ha, ha haa... Do I have to be up to something?" Zack grinned, trying to pull his innocent face even as Leon steadily stared him down. The man wasn't falling for it, and Zack began to babble about how he wasn't doing anything, he was innocent and he was just looking for something. Leon's disbelief grew and grew, until he finally looked amused.  
"Therefore, I cannot be up to anything and... Why are you grinning?"  
"Zack... You're on fire."  
Zack let out a strangled yell as he realized and pain finally registered. He started to beat at his rear and Leon tossed a bucket of water that Aerith had used for cleaning the floors with the day before but had never emptied, over him. Zack smouldered and checked himself over for any burns.  
"Man... Blisters." Zack scowled at them temporarily, and looked away as they started healing neatly. Leon was paying no attention to him, much more concerned with the stove and the spreading fire. There were no more buckets just lying around, and the tap would take too long...  
Leon sighed, focused sharply, and flooded the entire kitchen out with a water spell, drenching not just the fire and the objects, but he, Zack, and Aerith's new pet kitten (whom Zack named Rawr). Leon scooped the kitten up and put it on the table and it mewled.  
"It's going to take a lot to get rid of this water." Zack sighed and shook a leg free of water and headed back to the room he shared with Aerith. Leon started scooping the water into the sink with the recently used bucket, already craving coffee again. Eventually Zack came back down fully dressed and in Cid's fishing waders.  
"So, what were you trying to do?"  
Zack sighed and flushed slightly, like an embarrassed school boy.  
"I wanted to cook everyone breakfast, give Aerith a break for once. But I screwed up."  
"I noticed."  
Leon smiled slightly and kept scooping, Zack starting to help.

* * *

Aerith had shooed them out of the kitchen once she got up. By that point the pair had managed to get rid of most of the water, and what was left Aerith intended to do. Luckily, none of the water had even gotten close to Cid's computer which would have resulted in a lot of wrath. Zack had left shortly after, gone to look for Cloud who had taken up disappearing on a nearly regular basis, with no explanation given. Leon had accepted his fellow Restoration Member's absences, but they caused him to worry a little every time. He was aware, intellectually, that Cloud was more than a match for just about everything in the local vicinity, but he worried none-the-less. Particularly after Cloud announced he was searching for something.  
_Hyne's sake, Strife, where the hell have you gotten to this time?_  
The sun rose and work resumed to repair the city again. It was about the afternoon when Leon sense that something was wrong, but was unable to pinpoint it exactly. He checked up on the others and found them at their various duties (except Yuffie, who was playing with Rawr). They were all fine, but there was still no Cloud, or word from Zack to say he'd been found. Leon was getting closer to the edge of his nerves, and decided to go look himself when he felt it.  
Small tremors were fairly common in Hollow Bastion, and Leon passed it off as one. But as a precaution, he ordered that the work stop and the people to go to somewhere safer. Then the world really started to shake, and Leon felt his legs be vibrated from under him. He hit the ground hard, all his weight going onto one hand and wrist and he felt (and heard) a sickening snap. Pain made him drop onto his belly properly until he could roll onto his back and sit up from there. At least, that's what he would have done if another large tremor had not of struck and made him lie back again to strop himself from throwing up with the motion.  
_Freakin' Hyne, earthquake! Hyne, the Bailey...  
_Leon stared up at the shaking structure above him and realized that if he didn't move soon- too late. Large chunks of solid stone were falling from the wall, heading right for him. He only felt the first block, mercifully. The others, soon to follow went unfelt as he slipped from awareness.

* * *

It took Zack until fairly late into the day to find Cloud. The blond warrior was starting to stray farther and farther from the main town in his quest for something that not even Zack knew. Cloud had remained tight lipped on this subject, not even giving out as much as a clue as to what he looked for. Depending on the object, Zack would of gladly helped look for it (the others too, especially Aerith and Leon, but this was something he refused to say).  
"Hey, Spikes. You wandered pretty far this time."  
Cloud was leaning on the Buster overlooking the town a few clicks out from it, on a fairly high cliff.  
"Yeah."  
"Find it?"  
"No."  
Zack nodded and fell into silence watching the man and the town. It all seemed so small from up here, as if it was the work of ants and not a hardy bunch of people trying to recreate their home. He moved to the very edge and sat, legs dangling. Cloud's face momentarily flashed with worry, but relaxed again as Zack lent back. The Buster remained solid in his grip.  
A subject they had to talk about.  
"Zack..."  
"Hm?"  
Blue eyes turned to meet his, matching each other's intensity.  
"...do you want the Buster back?"  
Zack shook his head slightly. He had expected this issue to come up, but he had expected it a lot earlier in his new life.  
"Cloud, I gave it to you. It's yours."  
"But you're back. What will you fight with?"  
Zack stood and moved to Cloud. Cloud's head was bowed, lightly touching the grip and he was shaking slightly. This left Zack slightly puzzled, but he carried on.  
"I... I don't want to have to fight anymore. I want to have the life I was denied before, with Aerith. If I have to, I'll fight with my body as my weapon. If I absolutely have to, if I have to protect Aerith, or you, again. But it's yours, until you decide to pass it on." He smiled reassuringly and rubbed his friend's spikes. Cloud's shaking had stopped, and his grip had tightened before swinging the Buster onto his back.  
"But Cloud?"  
"Hm?"  
"I'm sorry I ever made you make that promise to me. Living legacy..." Zack shook his head. "It's so silly, now that I think of it."  
"Zack. I'm thankful you did. It was the right thing, and I'm-"  
A tremor hit them both and Cloud clung to the Buster to stay up while Zack clung to Cloud.  
The second tremor struck and Zack was forced to his knees, where he could see Hollow Bastion. He gasped.  
"Cloud! We have to get back- the Bailey just collapsed!"  
"It'll be fine Zack. Leon would have moved everyone away from it."  
"Cloud, SOLDIER instinct, I feel something is about to bite one of us in the rear, WE HAVE TO GO BACK."  
Who was Cloud to argue with Zack's instincts? It had proven reliable in the past, and even Cloud was getting an uncomfortable feeling between his shoulder blades.  
"Alright, let's go."

* * *

Hollow Bastion was a mess, with people scrambling all over the place. Some were searching for others, more were already clearing debris and others were helping the wounded. It looked as though an ant hill had been upturned and shaken around- which it had been, in a way. Yuffie practically bounced passed, clutching Rawr, the pair covered in plaster dust.  
"Cloud, Merlin's ceiling collapsed, so we can't go back there. We have to build him a new place. Maybe we could get our own places? I'd love my own place, to get away from YOU lot!" Yuffie hugged Rawr a little more and the kitten made a noise of protest. "AHNAYWAY, either of you seen Squall? He should be running around yelling at people with orders. Meanie pants." She pouted slightly.  
"He's probably overseeing work somewhere else. He'll show up."  
Leon didn't show up.

* * *

Night fell, and Aerith was starting to worry a lot, even though she was exhausted from healing the wounded. So was everyone else. The night was starting to get cool, and it had been decided that they would start clearing the bigger piles of rock, at the Bailey and near the town centre, the next day.  
"Nobody's seen him all day."  
Aerith was chewing her lip and Cid was pacing. Zack was trying to comfort Aerith as Yuffie scrambled over ceilings to try and get a vantage point. Cloud stood almost impassively, brow creased only slightly.  
"It's not like him to be away for so long, especially when he might be needed..."  
The breeze was getting stronger and colder, and if he hadn't of been so wary, Cloud would never of noticed it; the scent of blood. Of Leon's blood. Plenty of it, too.  
Cloud felt himself start to break into a cold sweat; Leon would never just leave a wound to bleed like that.  
He turned his head to the breeze and started to follow the scent. The others didn't notice his sudden departure and would not have questioned it if they had of. After all, suddenly leaving was a 'Cloud' thing. It got stronger as he followed it, until he reached what _had_ to be its source: the rock pile at the Bailey. The _bottom_ of said rock pile. Cloud felt his blood drain from his face as he scrambled down to it and followed the scent to its source.  
And started to dig.  
He tossed the rocks over a shoulder and barely noticed when Zack and the others finally found him.  
"Cloud?"  
"He's down here."  
Zack started to help and they managed to uncover Leon. The Leonhart was a battered mess, bleeding copiously from a gash along his skull and another, deeper one followed down his arm for a hands length- narrowly missing any major arteries, luckily. He was bruised everywhere and breathing only faintly. There was a quiet gurgling in the man's chest and a little bit of blood was frothing slightly at his lips, and he was tinged grey and blue under the bruises.  
"Lee!"  
Aerith dropped to next to him as she tried to call up healing magic and fail- she was completely dry. Zack shifted the last of the rubble off him and started assessing with the eye of a field medic- if he was left for too much longer, there would have been no chance of his survival. Even now that chance was quickly lowering.  
"Yuffie- go back to where we're staying and grab as many potions as you can."  
The young ninja nodded and rushed off, not before handing Rawr to Aerith. As Cloud watched, he could feel a part of himself start to go numb. Until now, all evidence had pointed toward Leon not being subject to the same laws of mortality did not apply to the warrior. He supposed it was a kind of shock- the last time he had seen one of his friends this close to death, it had been Zack...  
He shook himself and crouched to hold and get a better look at the gash on Leon's skull.  
It was long, running from crown to behind his left ear but it looked shallow and like it would heal well. Zack was trying to slow the bleeding from the gash in his left arm. Yuffie returned and Zack handed Cloud one of the potions which Cloud uncorked with his teeth and lodged into Leon's mouth and tipped gently. No point making him choke on the liquid.  
"Is that all?"  
"Hey! Merlin's place had collapsed, and the others had been used! You're lucky I could scrounge up two!"  
Zack poured the other potion onto the cut and nodded slightly. "Alright. Thank you for getting them."  
Yuffie blinked at his unusually serious tone. "...that bad, huh?"  
"Yeah."  
Leon groaned quietly and almost tried to sit up, but Cloud and Zack held him down. Leon stopped trying and Cloud's hands moved back to his head as Zack's ran down Leon's ribs, gently probing.  
Leon hissed, the little blood in his face draining.  
"Lee? You there?"  
Hiss nod.  
"Bite Cloud if you have to. I'm going to have to put your ribs back into place before we can move you."  
Cloud moved so Leon's head was in his lap properly, forearm pressed over his mouth. Leon's eyes widened slightly, as if he was shocked at the suggestion.  
"Ready, Leon? On three. One..."  
There was a crack as Zack moved Leon's ribs back into place before the designated number. Leon bit into Cloud's arm deep enough to draw blood before dropping back out of awareness.

* * *

His mouth tasted bitter, and faintly of iron when he next woke. His ribs still ached and it was still hard to breathe. He groaned and opened his eyes; every muscle was stiff and sore, and his left arm tingled slightly.  
"Hey." A hand was on his shoulder, preventing him from rising even if he had wanted to. Leon focused long enough to recognise Cloud before closing his eyes again. "Leon, look at me. Try and focus for longer."  
Leon opened his eyes again and tried to focus on Cloud again. It took a bit of time and when he finally managed it, he flinched as Cloud shone a light in his eyes.  
"Heh...called me Leon."  
Cloud nodded distractedly. "Follow the finger."  
They went through a few more checks including touching his fingers to his thumb on his right hand only. All of that checked out and Leon sighed slightly, head going back down.  
"How do you feel?"  
"...like a mad chocobo stomped me flat. Several times." He smiled slightly and Cloud sat back, removing his hand. "Why does my mouth taste funny?"  
"Probably the potion."  
_Much more likely to be the Mako in my blood. I'm not too surprised he could handle such a diluted dose, or even that it managed to keep him from freezing while in shock. Or that it's the only reason he didn't choke on his own blood.  
_"Damage report...?"  
Cloud propped his hand on the chair arm. "Broken ribs, one that punctured your lung and almost drowned you, cut on your left arm that is now mostly healed, you have a broken wrist and a large gash on your head."  
"Anything else?"  
"You're bruised almost everywhere."  
"I noticed." He pulled a face and Cloud smiled very faintly.  
"You'll have to stay in bed for awhile, and heal naturally. Aerith is completely out of magic, and there are no potions left."  
Leon would have sighed, if that motion wouldn't cause immense pain. "I'll have to deal with it. I'd much rather heal in one piece, entirely, then move and mess up the healing process."  
Cloud nodded, just watching. Leon was already back to sleep, which was probably for the best. Cloud sighed, reached and touched the stitches Aerith had put in to hold his scalp together. That had been close. Too close.  
Since when did the possibility of Leon dying matter so much to him? _  
_


End file.
